Page 26

TWENTY-SIX

MADELINE

The night on the balcony with Hudson was a turning point in our friendship.

I feel so much closer to him now, like I know almost everything about him. I’m glad he shared those parts of himself with me, and it explains so much: why he’s more reserved than the other players I’ve met. His comments on Thanksgiving, and the hint of sadness he carries with him I didn’t notice until now.

My heart aches for him. Every parent expects to pass before their child, but to do so while they’re so young is devastating.

He’s so strong to keep all of that inside, to not let it beat him up mentally and to instead show up every single day for his team. I have so much respect for him not only as an athlete, but as a human, too.

My phone buzzes on the counter. I wipe my hands on my apron and drag my thumb across the screen. A text message from Hudson pops up, and he must’ve known I was thinking about him.

Blond Bombshell

Hey, KG.

Me

Hey, hockey guy.

Blond Bombshell

You know how I told you I’m not going to be around tonight?

Me

I do. The calendar has time blocked off from six to eleven.

Are you part of a cult?

Blond Bombshell

Ha. Close.

We have a holiday gala every year for charity, and it’s scheduled for tonight.

I know it’s last minute, but two people can’t make it. I snagged tickets for you and Lucy if you want to come.

Black tie, formal, really ritzy kind of thing. There will be food and alcohol, though. And a silent auction to bid on players to spend an afternoon with them.

Me

What do you do with the person who wins the bid on you?

Blond Bombshell

A few of the guys and I take the winners to the DC Animal Shelter.

Me

Do you have ANY flaws?

Blond Bombshell

I’m terrible at making my bed.

Me

What a monster.

You want me to be ready for a black-tie event in five hours?

Blond Bombshell

You don’t have to be. It would be fun if you girls were there, but no pressure.

You girls .

There goes my damn heart again, skipping a beat.

Fucking traitorous thing.

I appreciate when he includes Lucy. I appreciate how she’s not overlooked, and if I could have two minutes with Hudson’s mom, I’d make sure to tell her how gentle her son’s soul is.

I’m not sure I have a dress in my closet that would be considered black tie appropriate, but after having such a great time with the team on Thanksgiving and every day after, I want to be included again.

Me

I’m in. Lucy is going to a sleepover at her friend’s house after school, so it’ll just be me.

Does that change your offer?

His answer comes seconds later, making it obvious he’s not putting his phone down. Wherever he is, I have his full attention, and that makes heat gather low in my stomach.

Blond Bombshell

Not one bit.

Meet me in the living room at 6:30?

Me

See you then!

I frantically open my text thread with Lexi, Piper, Maven, and Emmy.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN(DAMENTAL) RIGHTS AND GOOD SEX

Me

Hi. Hudson invited me to the Stars gala tonight, and I don’t know what to wear.

Piper

He did? Ah! So exciting! It’s fancy, but so fun.

Lexi

Full-length dress for sure, but nothing over the top.

Me

Lovely. My whole closet is full of full-length dresses, so this will be easy.

Maven

You can wear cocktail style dresses too. I did that last year and dressed it up with heels and jewelry. Wish I was joining you all tonight, but my youngest is sick. Take lots of pictures!! I have to meet you soon, Madeline!

Me

I don’t know if I own any item of clothing nice enough for this event. I live in leggings and sweaters. The occasional pair of jeans. Not formal attire.

And we do have to meet soon!

Piper

I’ll be finished with work in an hour. We can make a quick trip to the store if you want?

Me

Let me see what I can find, and I’ll get back to you.

Lexi

You’re going to look great in anything.

Emmy

She’s right. Let us know if you need any help.

Four hours and fifty-eight minutes later, I check my reflection in the mirror, happy with how I look.

“Five-minute warning,” Hudson says from down the hall, and I grab my clutch.

“Coming!” I answer, making sure I have my phone and lipstick before I slip out of my room.

When I round the corner into the living room, my tongue almost falls out of my mouth.

Hudson is wearing a tuxedo that hugs every curve of his body. His blond hair is styled neater than it is when he’s around the house, and his beard looks freshly trimmed. There’s a silver watch clasped around his left wrist, and his white bowtie is decorated with dozens of Christmas trees.

I carefully touch my lips to make sure I’m not drooling.

I’ve seen him in the suits he wears to and from the arena on game day, but this is different. He looks like pure man. Devastatingly handsome with a hint of softness in his smile.

“Hi,” I blurt, and he looks up from his phone.

Hudson’s eyes rake down my body and take in the snowflake necklace sitting against the top of my chest. They move lower to the green fabric of my dress hugging my hips and thighs. He works his way down my legs, to my red-painted toes, before moving back up.

The second his gaze snags on mine, I can feel the heat behind his eyes. The look is so sensual, so hot, I have a visceral reaction to it.

He’s staring at me like he wants to devour me, and my skin burns hot at the thought of his mouth on my body. Kissing the space below my ear. Running his tongue along my collarbone then moving lower to my thighs.

I blow out a breath and shift on my feet. My underwear is wet, and the ache between my legs is almost unbearable.

“Hi,” he answers. The syllable is rough, ragged, and I swear I feel it everywhere. “You look…” Hudson trails off. Cups the back of his neck with a large palm. Clears his throat. “Wow.”

“Is my dress okay? It’s the only thing I had and?—”

“ Wow ,” he repeats. There’s more emphasis behind it the second time. He moves his hand to his chest. “Shit, Madeline. You’re beautiful. Fucking gorgeous.”

“You said your favorite color was green and I—” I lift the dress at my hip, gesturing at my ensemble. “I thought it was festive.”

“When I said green, I meant that exact shade. You in that outfit, really.” His cheeks are flushed, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “No other variation is ever going to do.”

My insides twist into a knot with his compliment. “I’m glad you like it.”

He’s still staring at me, and I’m seconds away from melting. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure if I should’ve said that, but you deserve to hear it. I hope I didn’t?—”

“Thank you,” I interrupt. “For saying it. It’s the holidays, right? We should be able to compliment each other without it being like we’re overstepping a line. You look great too.”

“Do you…” Hudson swallows. He seems rattled. “We should head out.”

I think I’d like to stay here instead.

I’d like to peel off his jacket and unbutton his shirt. I’d like to run my tongue down his chest muscles and see if I can make him moan.

Instead, I smile. Nod and say, “sounds good.”

I unhook my peacoat from the rack in the foyer and look at him over my shoulder. His eyes bounce up from where they were focused on my hips, and I give him a smirk. “Let’s do this, Bombshell.”

I’ve been to a handful of fancy parties in my life, but nothing compares to this gala.

There are twenty-foot Christmas trees and candles everywhere. Holiday decorations hang from the walls and servers walk around with expensive alcohol and crab cakes.

It’s overwhelming, but I’m warm and happy when Piper, Lexi, and Emmy sidle up next to me.

“Madeline. You look fantastic .” Lexi takes my hand and makes me do a twirl. I laugh when she whistles, appreciating the way she’s hyping me up and being the ultimate girl’s girl. “And that ass . You get that without doing any Pilates? I’m so jealous.”

“I saw half the team eye-fucking you,” Emmy says proudly.

“They were not . No one wants my mom bod.”

“You’re wrong, my friend.” Piper hands me a drink and grins. “Liam had to knock Ethan on the side of the head because he wouldn’t stop gawking at you. Good thing he intervened before Hudson saw.”

“Oh.” I smooth my hands over the front of my dress. The satin is form-fitting but soft, and it’s exhilarating to be seen. To be looked at and noticed. “Is Ethan single?”

“Why?” Lexi smiles. “Interested?”

“No,” I’m quick to say. I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression. “He’s way too young for me. And I’m not sure I’d like to date someone whose life is so public.”

“It’s hard, and it’s even harder in the age of social media. Everyone has an opinion about everything, and if I post three photos in a row without Maverick in them, I have a thousand comments asking if we broke up, why he’s not included and if I’m hiding somewhere because he cheated on me.” Emmy rolls her eyes. “But then I think about the moments when no one is around, like when he washes my hair after practice. Or the tattoos he gets for me and how he falls asleep with his head on my chest.”

“ Riiiiight , yeah. Sounds terrible, Em.” Lexi nods emphatically, and Emmy has to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “All kidding aside, though, I know what you mean. I’m not sure I could date one of the players. I know so much about them. I’ve seen their asses and heard them make stupid jokes to each other when they’re on the trainers’ tables. Kind of loses the mystery, you know? There’s no romance.”

“You don’t want romance.” Emmy scoffs. “You want to be fu?—”

“Am I interrupting?” Hudson asks, grinning at the four of us.

His bowtie is loose, and the top button of his shirt is unfastened. He ditched his tuxedo jacket a while ago, and his hair is a little messier than it was when we got here.

“Yes, Huddy, you are.” Lexi flips her hair over her shoulder. “This is girl talk.”

“If any of the guys were to join girl talk, I’d want Hudson to be the one,” Emmy says, and Piper nods in agreement.

“Same. He can be an honorary part of our group.”

“As flattered as I am, I don’t want to impose.” His eyes move to me, and he tips his head to the side. “I was hoping I could steal Madeline for a minute.”

I finish off my wine and set the empty glass down. Anticipation sits at the base of my spine. “Sure.”

“Do you want to dance?”

“I’m not sure I’ve danced since homecoming my senior year of high school.” I laugh and smile up at him. “What the hell? Let’s give it a whirl.”

He leads me to the part of the ballroom that’s been designated as the dance floor. We join the couples bopping to the beat of some pop song, but the music shifts to something slower when we start to move.

“I did not plan this,” he says.

“Are you sure about that, Hayes?”

“I swear.” He laughs and offers me his palm. I drop my hand in his, and his fingers curl around mine. “But did I manifest it so I could have a second alone with you? I’ll never tell.”

“You’ve been busy. You don’t have to entertain me.”

“You’re way more fun than an auction where someone pays thousands of dollars to spend an hour with me.” He settles his other palm on my waist, and I’m glad he’s not wincing when he moves anymore. His shoulder must’ve healed up, and it’s good to see him back at full strength. “I’m glad you’re here tonight.”

“Me too. This really gets me in the holiday spirit. Time moves so fast these days, and it’s nice to slow down for a night and enjoy the season. Y’all donated so much money to local charities, and it’s inspiring.”

“Our organization does good work. Speaking of holiday spirit, I thought we could pick out a Christmas tree this week. You, me, and Lucy. It’s been a few years since I put one up, and it would brighten up the condo.”

“She’d love that. We’ve only ever had artificial trees.”

“I’m off on Thursday. We’ll go to a Christmas tree farm outside the city and find the best one.”

“I’m going to call you Santa Claus.” I laugh when he accidentally steps on my toe. My heel gets stuck on the hem of my dress, and he wraps his arm around my waist to keep me from falling. “Shouldn’t you be good at this? You leaped over someone during your game the other night, but dancing trips you up?”

“Are you a hockey girl now?” Hudson asks, his voice an octave deeper than it was a minute ago. “Are you staying up and watching my games?”

I am watching his games.

After Lucy goes to bed, I turn the TV back on, mesmerized by how good he is at his job.

I’ve wanted to get better about understanding the rules of the sport, because it lets me have a few extra minutes with him when he gets home.

I linger in the kitchen longer than I did when we first moved in. I’ve stopped leaving instructions on his meals and started waiting until he sends a text letting me know he’s on the way home to cook his dinner.

It’s stupid, really, but all of a sudden, I’m looking for any opportunity to be around him. Paying attention to the thing he loves seems like the easiest way to do that.

“I’ve watched a few of your matches, Hayes,” I say, and his smile is the brighter than all the Christmas trees in the room. He dips me, and I squeal when the ends of my hair graze the floor. “But don’t flatter yourself. It’s only so I can roast you on social media and call you Bombshell.”

“That explains the uptick in comments using that nickname. I knew you had ulterior motives.” He sets me back on two feet. His thumb rubs along the dip in the fabric on the back of my dress, and the contact is searing. “Are you enjoying the games you’re watching?”

“Yeah. I mean, I still don’t understand everything. But I like learning.”

“Think I could convince you and Lucy to come to a game?”

“I’m not sure it would take much convincing. We’d love to come if the schedules lined up.”

“We’ll plan something.” Hudson rubs his hand up my arm. “Gosh. You really are something else, Mads. A sight for sore eyes.”

Funny.

Looking at him makes me think my heart needs to be jumpstarted because he’s so beautiful.

“You clean up well too, BB.”

He steps closer to me. Our chests almost press together. “You’re having fun, right?”

“I’m here with you.” I smile. “Of course I’m having fun. Are you?”

“Yeah.” His fingers bunch my dress in their hold, and I let out at shallow breath. “This is the most fun I’ve had in a long, long time.”